Knit garment



W. P. KNMP.

KNLT GARMENT.

(No Model.)

No. 513,047. Patented Jan. 16, 1894.

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4UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.;

WILLIAM F. KNEIP, OF YPSILANTL'MIOHIGAN.

KNIT GARM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,04*?, dated January 16, 1894. Application filed September Z9, 1892. Serial No. 447.228. (No model .l

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. KNEIP, of Ypsilanti, in the county of Washtenaw and State of Michigamhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knit Garments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to knit garments and has for its object a construction insuring greater durability of the garment, and comfort to the wearer.

The invention consists in the matters to be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims. p

In the accompanying drawings: Figurelis a rear elevation of the upper part of an undergarment embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view.

The garment is composed of a front, A, and back, B, connected by a yoke, O, and sleeves, D, connected at their upper or inner ends to said front, back and yoke. These parts or members of the garment are formed of knit fabric, the longitudinal ribs'or rows of stitches of the front A and back B being arranged vertically, as is usual, while in the yoke O, to the edges of which the top edges of said front and back are attached, the longitudinal ribs or rows of stitches are arranged horizontally or at right angles to those of said front and back. As is well known, a fabric of this character, and especially the ribbed fabrics used in the construction of garments designed to conform to the shape of the wearer, possesses great elasticity transversely or in a direction at right angles to the length of the fabric or ribs, and but a relatively slight elasticity in a longitudinal direction. Owing to this characteristic, garments made from such fabric stretch across the shoulders, causing the seams, d, which connect the arms or sleeves D of the garment with the body thereof, to droop upon, and confine the movements of the arms of the wearer, and to prevent accurate fit of the garment, besides subjecting the part so stretched to more rapid wear than the other parts of the garment. To avoid this stretch-A ing of the garment across the shoulders, and the discomfort to the wearer liable to be occasioned thereby, the garment is provided with a yoke, C, the ribs or rows of stitches, c, of which are arranged horizontally or at right angles to the vertical rows b and a of the back and front of the garment. The yoke C is of general triangular outline, the ribs or rows of stitches, c, being parallel with its longestside or edge, c, which edge c is connected by a seam with the top edge or end, b', of the back B. The short sides or edges, c2, c2, of the yoke are diagonal to the rows of stitches c and to the long or horizontal edge c and are connected with the top edge a of the front A of the garment, bythe shoulder seams thereof. Said diagonal edges c2, o2 are connected at their upper or converging ends by a short edge, c3, which is parallel with the rows of stitches c and with the long edge o', and which constitutes a part of the neck opening of the garment. The outer triangular ends or points of the yoke O project somewhat beyond those parts of the vertical side edges a2 b2 of the front A and back B which form the arm holes, and are connected with the opposite longitudinal edges, d', d of the arm or sleeveD of the garment at the upper end thereof, thus relieving the arm seam d of strain and wear, and providing in part for the fullness required at the inner end of the sleeve. Owing to this construction the undue stretching of the garment across the shoulders is avoided, thus maintaining the shape and proportion thereof at this point during use, and as the short horizontal edge c3 forms the rear part of the neck opening, the tendency to stretch at this point is materially lessened. Moreover, as the yoke C possesses great elasticity in a vertical direction, it will yield readily to forward movements of the head or neck of the wearer, thus relieving both the wearer and the garment from any stress which is apt to be felt in using garments having aback composed entirely of a fabric in which the ribs or rows of stitches are vertically arranged.

What I claim isl. A garment comprising a front and back formed of knit fabric, and a yoke of similar fabric having a general triangular outline, the lower edge of said yoke being horizontally ICO arranged parallel with the longitudinal ribs being attached respectively to the top edges of `the backend front of thegarment, andthe 15 pointed ends of the said yoke being extended into the seams of the sleeves, at the upper ends of the latter, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my `invention I aflx inysignature in presence 2o of two witnesses.

.WILLIAM F. KNEIP.

Witnesses:

C. CLARENCE POOLE, GEORGE W. HIGGINS, Jr. 

